Has anyone from Asia opened an EU company to get remote EU/US jobs?

Hi everyone,

I'm from Philippines and I'm a remote tech/freelance professional.

I’ve noticed that many EU/US companies list remote jobs but say “EU only” or “must be EU-based.” I’ve read that some people open a company in the EU (like in Portugal, Cyprus, or Estonia), hire themselves, and work as legal contractors — which helps them land more international clients.

I’m considering this route:

* Open a company in Portugal or Cyprus

* Apply for a visa (like Portugal's D2 or Cyprus digital nomad visa)

* Work for EU/US clients remotely through my company and invoice them directly

Has anyone here done this?

Is this really a viable route to getting better remote jobs as a non-EU citizen?

What are the pros/cons, and what should I be careful of (e.g. taxes, visa issues, rejection by clients)?

Would love to hear from anyone who’s actually tried this — especially if you’re from Asia or outside the EU originally.

Thanks a ton! 🫶🫶

I have a question about the soft dtv visa. Are you legally allowed to work online as well? Obviously you're not allowed to work for Thai clients; are you allowed to freelance online for non Thai residents whilst staying in Thailand with a DTV soft power visa?

Hey there everyone! 🙋 ♂️

I am currently looking for a German employer who allows to work remotely from Thailand permanently or at least for a longer period of time. Maybe there are some people here with experience or concrete tips?

So far, in my research, I have only found companies that offer remote work, but restrict that to Germany or maximum the EU. Especially in terms of tax and legal aspects, this seems to be an exclusion criteria for many companies.

Therefore, my question to you: Do you know employers in Germany (or maybe even specific industries or forms of companies) that allow work from Thailand, whether it is official or at least unofficially with tolerance?

I am happy for any feedback, experience or exchange. Thank you in advance! 🙏😊

Hi everyone! 🙋 ♂️

I’m currently looking for a German employer who allows long-term or even permanent remote work from Thailand. I was wondering if anyone here has experience with this or knows of companies that are open to it?

So far, I’ve mostly come across employers that offer remote work but only within Germany or, at best, within the EU. It seems that legal and tax-related concerns make many companies hesitant to allow remote work from outside the EU.

That’s why I’d love to hear from anyone who knows of German companies or even specific industries or job types where working remotely from Thailand is officially permitted (or at least tolerated in practice).

Any tips, insights, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much in advance! 🙏😊

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Hallo zusammen! 🙋‍♂️

Ich bin aktuell auf der Suche nach einem deutschen Arbeitgeber, der es erlaubt, dauerhaft oder zumindest für längere Zeit remote aus Thailand zu arbeiten. Vielleicht gibt es hier ja ein paar Leute mit Erfahrungen oder konkreten Tipps?

Bisher habe ich bei meiner Recherche leider nur Unternehmen gefunden, die zwar Remote Work anbieten, das aber auf Deutschland oder maximal die EU beschränken. Gerade in Bezug auf steuerliche und rechtliche Aspekte scheint das für viele Firmen ein Ausschlusskriterium zu sein.

Deshalb meine Frage an euch: Kennt ihr Arbeitgeber in Deutschland (oder vielleicht sogar konkrete Branchen oder Unternehmensformen), die das Arbeiten aus Thailand ermöglichen sei es offiziell oder zumindest inoffiziell mit Duldung?

Ich freue mich über jeden Hinweis, Erfahrungsbericht oder Austausch dazu. Vielen Dank im Voraus! 🙏😊

Hi everyone! 🙋‍♂️

I’m currently looking for a German employer who allows long-term or even permanent remote work from Thailand. I was wondering if anyone here has experience with this or knows of companies that are open to it?

So far, I’ve mostly come across employers that offer remote work but only within Germany or, at best, within the EU. It seems that legal and tax-related concerns make many companies hesitant to allow remote work from outside the EU.

That’s why I’d love to hear from anyone who knows of German companies or even specific industries or job types where working remotely from Thailand is officially permitted (or at least tolerated in practice).

Any tips, insights, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much in advance! 🙏😊

I am a student here in bangkok. I need a job on site or remote. I have visa, i just need work if anybody can help me please let me know

I’ve been reading a lot of posts lately, and it seems like everyone’s talking about contracts.

As a freelancer working with an online company, I keep wondering—how does the idea of a contract apply to someone like me?

I do have proof of my work:

• My profile on the platform

• Screenshots of the website where I work

• Financial transfers and payment history

But there’s no official written contract between me and the company.

Is having a contract a must in freelancing?

Or are there other valid ways to prove work relationships and protect your rights?

Would love to hear thoughts from fellow freelancers or legal experts in the space.

Does travel vlogging count towards remote worker or freelancer status? I do meet the financial requirements, but I’m not actively making money off the vlogging

Is anyone know if you can keep your company if you would stay longer than 180 days outside of Germany? Or will there be any problems with the main residence or what could happen if you stay longer abroad, like in Thailand with DTV Visa. I'd like to have a German customer with a freelancer company to live and work from Thailand as long as I can. And then repeat

Flew back to Germany and applied for DTV in Munich. Was pleasantly surprised that it only took 5 business days to get approved.

Here’s what I provided in case it’s helpful to someone in the future 👇🏼

Embassy: Munich, applied online

DTV Type: Workcation / Digital Nomad

Applied Date: March 2nd 2025 (Sun)

Approved Date: March 7th 2025 (Fri)

Provided:

- German business registration (Gewerbeschein)

- Scan of passport page

- Website (screenshotted the website and provided as a pdf + added domain link on top of the pdf). Website includes testimonials from past clients, portfolio showcasing work, etc.

- Bank statement (pdf) showing only final balance of above 500.000baht and date

- Biometric Passport photo

- Certificate of registration (Meldebescheinigung)

No interview or extra documents were requested. Received Visa per mail 5 days later.

Big thank you to the people in this group providing help and input ✌🏼

With employment contract are they looking at the salary to be the main source of said minimum? Asking because I have an official employment contract that is not full time and I also have private freelance contracts. I file taxes (USA) as a freelancer/my own business but also include this contract as an employee.

I’ve heard being employed by a company is a bit easier to file for DTV. However I have higher income from several sources being a private contractor.

What to do here?

Hello,

As a crypro investor/trader, can i apply for DTV visa?

Can i show my crypto balance (worth over 1 mln usd) as portfolio?

I am not employed, been freelancing since 15 years ago, in marketing and trading. Have invested most earnings into cryptos.

Im gonna choose “freelance” in the form.

Any advice?

Thanks